Style is something that everyone struggles to be in, but just what is in style ?
We constantly hear about celebrities that are dressing in fashion or out of fashion, but what exactly has been in fashion for the past few decades?
The 80s
To even begin to cover what was 80s fashion, the 1970s liberation movement must be brought up. This movement leveled the field between men and women. This also included money, the economy was beginning to skyrocket and women wanted to be a part of it. It set the stage for the 80s fashion we think of as powerful, exciting and full of bold statements of defiance and fun.
Vogue magazine has been the place to find all the fashion trends for decades and in their 1980’s Vogue review, they said, “The Yuppie Handbook outlined it all—for women, Ralph Lauren skirt suits, a pussy-bow blouse, a Coach bag, and running shoes instead of pumps. For men, a pinstriped three-piece suit, a Rolex, a Burberry trench, and a squash racquet. Essentially, a combination of “timeless” closet staples.”
The Yuppie Handbook was a major part of fashion in the 80s considering the now economic boom and the increased amount of “Yuppies”(Young Urban Professionals) It laid out what they would eat what their homes would look like, what they would wear, what they could and couldn’t do.
The 90s
A time in fashion considered by many to be similar to now due to the revival of 90s fashion. The 90s saw the introduction of many growing rap artists and models like Kate Moss. A student at Magnolia High student Jana Madani said, “90s was very grunge and minimalism. I believe it is very similar to the fashion trends now. An example is the idea of baggy jeans, which were commonly worn in the 90s along with now.”
Adeline Blakis, a student at Woodbridge High said, “In the 90s, popular fashion trends were short crop tops, flannel shirts, and ripped jeans. I feel like around the years of 2020-2023, these fashion trends came back.”
Overall when people think of the 90s they all think of modern streetwear, think rock bands in a garage with teenagers then you have 90s fashion. This was one of the biggest shifts since the 80s was more business centered young adult, and fancy while the 90s was more teenager who just grabbed something out of their closet and left.
The 2000s
“Mean Girls”and “The Notebook” are just two movies that really represent what the 2000s style was. When you think 2000s you think flip-phones, bejeweled jackets, Juicy tracksuits and smaller sizes. A 2000s graduate, English teacher Sabreena Beneville, was asked about what fashion trends were popular when she was in highschool.
Beneville said, “The boys wore baggy jeans and like rock T shirts… the girls wore, like, tube tops and midriff shirts and low waist, like low rise jeans and pants, clunky shoes, chokers.”
In recent years many of these have seen a return even around school and outside of school. One example is the military jacket. The military jacket made a commanding statement in the two thousands and is now returning but to symbolize the idea of nonchalance or unbothered that this generation is so obsessed with achieving.
In “How to Wear the 2000s Military jacket Trend in 2025” by Minty Mellon, she states “the military jacket has reclaimed its place as this season’s go-to jacket after being spotted on Sofia Richie Grainge, Jenna Ortega, and Jodie Turner-Smith, as well as across the spring 2026 runways.” This really accentuates the cycles that fashion takes of leaving for a while and returning once again.
Now
What we wear now is the effect of all generations prior and their shifts in fashion.From baggy jeans from the 90s and peplum tops in the 2000s to baggy jeans and peplum tops now. Fashion is always in a cycle of repeating with change but will this cycle continue? Will we in twenty years see people wearing the lululemon define jacket or edited hoodies? What do you think ?
